50th Annual Conference of the AASR:
Rural religion and religious heritage

4 - 5 December 2025
Federation University Australia
Ballarat

Call for Papers

In December 2025, Federation University Australia invites scholars from across the world to join us in the historic city of Ballarat for the 50th annual conference of the Australian Association for the Study of Religion.

In this golden anniversary conference, hosted on Wadawurrung country by Federation University’s Future Regions Research Centre, we welcome papers and panels on all aspects of the academic study of religion, especially on the topics of rural religion and religious heritage.

 

We particularly welcome papers and panels on the following topics:

  • Rural religious communities and histories across the world

  • Religion, rural migration and rural cosmopolitanism

  • National and international recognition and legal protection of religious heritage

  • Religious communities preserving religious heritage

  • Religious heritage in rural spaces

  • As the golden anniversary conference of the AASR, hosted on the site of a significant gold rush, we also welcome papers and panels on the relationship between religion and gold across eras and cultures.

All individual papers and panel submissions relevant to the worldwide academic study of religion are also welcome. We particularly welcome proposals from PhD students. Special sessions are planned for higher degree students.

A conference publication on the topic of rural religion and religious heritage in global perspective is planned.

Since 1976, the Australian Association for the Study of Religion (AASR) has been fostering the development of high-quality scholarship on religion, creating community and mutual opportunity for established and emerging voices.

Open Call for Papers – Due 31 September 2025

Proposals for individual or co-authored papers should include:

  • author name(s);

  • institutional affiliation;

  • contact information;

  • an abstract of 250-300 words, including a brief discussion of research method and/or theoretical approach

Use the button below to submit your paper.

Panel sessions – Due 31 September 2025.

Proposals for 90 or 120 minute panels should include a 50-100 word abstract for the panel as well as individual abstracts and author information, as above.

Notes:

  • All presenters will be required to be members of the AASR by 28 November 2025. Members of the New Zealand Association for the Study of Religion are exempt from this requirement.

  • Registration fees will be posted on this website shortly.

  • This is primarily an in-person conference, held at the SMB Campus of Federation University Australia, in central Ballarat, approximately 100km from the city of Melbourne and Melbourne International Airport. We have limited capacity for hybrid panels and online presentations.

  • All inquiries can be directed to the conference committee at AASR2025@federation.edu.au.